Find out how popular the last name Knipp is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Knipp.

Knipp, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Knipp surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Knipp in America

Knipp is the 11592nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Knipp surname appeared 2,709 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Knipp.

We can also compare 2010 data for Knipp to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Knipp

The surname Knipp is of German origin, originating in the northern regions of the country during the 16th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old German word "knippen," meaning "to pinch" or "to nip," which may have referred to a person's occupation or physical characteristic.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Knipp can be found in the parish records of the town of Trier, located in the Rhineland-Palatinate region of Germany, dating back to 1586. The name was spelled as "Knypp" in these records.

In the 17th century, the Knipp surname appeared in various historical documents across Germany. For instance, Johann Knipp, a prominent merchant from Cologne, was mentioned in trade records from 1612. Additionally, a document from 1642 references a farmer named Hans Knipp from the village of Niederweiler in the Rhineland-Palatinate region.

As the name spread across Germany, it also underwent slight variations in spelling, such as "Knip" and "Knipp." In the 18th century, the Knipp surname was found in various regions, including Bavaria and Saxony.

One notable individual with the Knipp surname was Johann Christoph Knipp (1678-1742), a German composer and organist from Nuremberg. He was renowned for his compositions for the organ and harpsichord.

Another significant figure was Gottfried Knipp (1838-1904), a German author and journalist who wrote extensively about the culture and history of the Rhineland region. He was born in the town of Bonn and published several books, including "Rheinische Sagen und Legenden" (Rhenish Legends and Tales).

In the 19th century, the Knipp surname also spread to other parts of Europe, including the Netherlands and Belgium, where it was sometimes spelled as "Knip" or "Knipps."

One notable Dutch individual with the Knipp surname was Dirk Knipscheer (1823-1900), a pioneer in the field of photography who is credited with developing one of the earliest photographic techniques known as the "calotype" process.

As the Knipp surname traveled across the Atlantic Ocean, it gained a foothold in the United States and Canada. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name in North America dates back to the late 18th century, when a German immigrant named Johann Knipp settled in Pennsylvania.

Throughout history, the Knipp surname has been associated with various professions and walks of life, from merchants and farmers to artists and intellectuals. While its origins can be traced back to northern Germany, the name has spread across the globe, carrying with it a rich cultural heritage.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Knipp

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Knipp.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Knipp was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Knipp has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Knipp was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Knipp, please contact us.

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